God’s Word Translation
Genesis 17:5
5So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations.
Genesis 17:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
- New International Version (NIV)No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
- English Standard Version (ESV)No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
- New King James Version (NKJV)No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.
Context of Genesis 17:5
3Immediately, Abram bowed with his face touching the ground, and again God spoke to him, 4“My promise is still with you. You will become the father of many nations. So your name will no longer be Abram [Exalted Father], but Abraham [Father of Many] because I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will give you many descendants. Many nations and kings will come from you. 7I will make my promise to you and your descendants for generations to come as an everlasting promise. I will be your God and the God of your descendants.
Read all of Genesis 17Genesis 17:5 word by word
וְלֹא־יִקָּרֵ֥א ע֛וֹד אֶת־שִׁמְךָ֖ אַבְרָ֑ם וְהָיָ֤ה שִׁמְךָ֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֛י אַב־הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Neither shall thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- any more be calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
- shall be Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
- for a fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- of manyהָמוֹןhâmôn hâmôn · crowdH1995
- nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- have I made theeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
Cross-references for Genesis 17:5
- Genesis 17:15God said to Abraham, “Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead, her name is Sarah [Princess].
- Genesis 32:28The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel [He Struggles With God], because you have struggled with God and with men—and you have won.”
- Numbers 13:16These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. But Moses gave Hoshea, son of Nun, the name Joshua.
- 2 Samuel 12:25and sent a message through the prophet Nathan to name the baby Jedidiah [The Lord’s Beloved].
- Nehemiah 9:7You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and took him from Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
- Isaiah 62:2The nations will see your righteousness. All kings will see your glory. You will be given a new name that the Lord will announce.
- Isaiah 65:15Your name will be used as a curse by my chosen ones. The Almighty Lord will kill you and call his servants by another name.
- Jeremiah 20:3The next day when Pashhur took Jeremiah out of prison, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord doesn’t call you Pashhur, but he calls you Terror Everywhere.
- Jeremiah 23:6In his lifetime, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name that he will be given: The Lord is our righteousness.
- Matthew 1:21She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus [He Saves], because he will save his people from their sins.”
- John 1:42Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
- Revelation 2:17Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each person a white stone with a new name written on it, a name that is known only to the person who receives it.
Commentaries on Genesis 17:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Thy name shall be Abraham - Abram אברם literally signifies a high or exalted father. Ab -ra -ham אברהם differs from the preceding only in one letter; it has ה he before the last radical. Though this may appear very simple and easy, yet the true etymology and meaning of the word are very difficult to be assigned. The reason given for the change made in the patriarch's name is this: For a father of many nations have I made thee, גוים המון אב ab -hamon…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-27Verses 1-27 - The Sealing of the Covenant 1. שׁדי shaday Shaddai, “Irresistible, able to destroy, and by inference to make, Almighty.” שׁדד shādad “be strong, destroy.” This name is found six times in Genesis, and thirty-one times in Job. 5. אברהם 'abrâhām Abraham, from אברם 'abrām “high-father,” and הם hām the radical part of המין hāmôn a “multitude,” is obtained by a euphonic abbreviation אברהם 'abrâhām “father of a multitude.” The root רהם rhm…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5God guaranteed his promise by changing Abram’s name. Abram means “exalted father.” This referred to his father Terah and his noble lineage (11:27). His new name, Abraham (Hebrew ’ab hamon), means "father of a multitude." This was a wordplay on the promise of his countless descendants (see also John 8:31–59; Romans 4:16–17; Galatians 3:7, 15–19, 29). Whenever the new name was used, he and his household would remember that a multitude of nations would come…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. but thy name shall be Abraham--In Eastern countries a change of name is an advertisement of some new circumstance in the history, rank, or religion of the individual who bears it. The change is made variously, by the old name being entirely dropped for the new, or by conjoining the new with the old; or sometimes only a few letters are inserted, so that the altered form may express the difference in the owner's state or prospects. It is surprising how…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 17:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries